MARTINSVILLE, Va.
Defending champion Ryan Blaney captured his second consecutive victory in the NASCAR Cup Series Round of 8 elimination race at Martinsville Speedway, earning a spot in the Championship 4.
Blaney clinched the win in Sunday’s Xfinity 500, pulling ahead of Chase Elliott on Lap 486 and ultimately finishing 2.593 seconds ahead.
Meanwhile, Christopher Bell made a desperate last-ditch effort on the final lap to secure the final Championship 4 position for William Byron.
In a bold move entering Turn 3, Bell passed Bubba Wallace to gain the crucial point he needed, but he collided with the outside wall in Turn 4, resulting in a safety violation.
NASCAR penalized Bell four positions, dropping him to 22nd and allowing Byron to advance by just four points.
Elliott and his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson, who finished third, were eliminated from the playoffs.